Page 7 of Silent Damage

Gabe.

That liar.

The only person I thought would never hurt me ended up hurting me the most.

Dad beat the hell out of me; Mom is a little slap-happy, too, but Gabe broke my heart.

I can handle physical pain, but I can’t handle that.

“You two used to be friends…”

“I’m supposed to live with a convicted murderer and a man who beat the hell out of me my whole life?”

“Manslaughter,” she whispers. “Not murder.”

“Oh wow, manslaughter? Well, thank god. That changes everything.”

The volume of her voice startles me, and my body rattles the bed. “Well, that’s the option, Jason! Or you could move out and get a fucking job! You’re twenty, not a kid. I want a life. A partner. I deserve that.”

“And what do I deserve?” I holler back.

“I don’t know, but I want a life, Jason, and you keep ruining it.”

She gasps, covering her mouth with her hand, like she can push those words back in.

But she can’t.

Silence.

I take a deep breath. “Fine. Tell Doug I’m on my way.”

“Jason, I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t.”

Her mouth falls open, and her hands shake at her sides. I can see the gravity of it all crashing down on her. “Look, maybe if you apologize to Brad—”

“I’d rather eat dogshit. Tell Doug I’m on my way and to hide the sharp knives from his psycho wife.”

She turns pale, and, for the first time in a long time, I feel like I have the upper hand. I’ve been a nuisance to her since we left Belmont—a memory of the man who broke her heart. Well, fuck it.

I’m ruining her life?

Where was she when Doug had the belt in his hands?

Why didn’t anyone help me?

Because no one ever chooses me.

Not even Gabe.

“Jason, I—”

“I need to pack. Go take care of your pathetic boyfriend.” She doesn’t move—just stands there staring at me.

“Go.”

She can hear in my voice that this is it, and if there’s one thing Ma knows, it’s that I don’t back down when I’ve made up my mind.